Boosting farming, ending hunger are top bills of Pangilinan

Returning legislator Francis Pangilinan has shown his undying dedication to agriculture and the farming sector by making agriculture and ending hunger among his priority bills in the House of Representatives.

Pangilinan previously served as senator from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 22 and was the Senate majority floor leader from 2004 to 2008.

In an interview, Pangilinan said: “We have filed resolutions pushing for the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act and we are looking into the Rice Tariffication Act and how it affects our agricultural workers.”

During his campaigns for the 2024 midterm elections, he said he held multi-sectoral discussions to understand the plight of agricultural workers, the commuting public, and educators and learners.

Pangilinan recalls “that these discussions…guided the priority measures he plans to tackle in the current Congress, underscoring also the need to protect the environment, fight against corrupt practices, and address the problems that commuters face every day.”

“We are filing today an Anti-Political Dynasty Bill which was long time  in coming. We’re also pushing for the end to single-use plastics, as well as improvements in our public transportation system.”

With the 20th Congress now in full swing, he filed this week seven priority bills and three resolutions.

Pangilinan is urging the Committee on Agriculture to investigate the status of the Sagip Saka Act to ensure that agricultural workers benefit from its provisions.

He said he wants all local government units to comply with the Sagip Saka Act and empower their local farmers and fisherfolk to reap the benefits of the law.

On the resolution to restore the regulatory and marketing powers of the National Food Authority, Pangilinan said he wants to determine if now is the right time to do so, to ensure that the market would not be controlled by a few traders and importers. He also wants to introduce amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law to ensure lower rice prices and food security.

Similarly, he wants to look into the impact of allowing commercial fishing within the 15-km municipal waters previously entitled to small scale and municipal fishermen. This was one of the issues raised during his campaign.

The resolution aims to amend existing laws and policies to safeguard the rights and welfare of municipal fisherfolk.

He said: “We bring the promise of hope that our kababayans have given me through their votes. That is where my mandate comes from—from the hopes and dreams they pinned on me as they cast their votes and believed in our advocacies and our platform,” the senator added.

A recent survey of Publicus Asia identified three most pressing concerns that Filipinos want President Marcos Jr to address, namely corruption, the economy and inflation. The survey was held from June 27-30 showing that 21 percent of those polled listed corruption as topmost concern, followed by the economy and inflation, each at 11%.

Households fear they might be able to afford basic commodities, needs and avail of health services, according to a Manila Times story.

The youth worry about finding employment and joining the ranks of  the unemployed, while insecurity in keeping one’s job was the main worry of those ages 40-49.

The survey had 1,500 respondents randomly drawn from the market research panel of over 200,000 registered Filipino voters maintained by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with a multinational presence.